Improvement in car-roofs



JOHN L. BURNHAM.

Improvement in Car Roofs.

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U NITED S 'rA'rEs PATEHEgQFFICE,

JOHN L. BURNHAM, 0E NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,266, dated April 2, 1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Roofs, invented by JOHN L. BURNHAM, of Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee.

The invention will first be fully described and then clearly pointed out in the claim.

The drawing is a plan view of a roof, with part of the outer wooden cover removed, and showing the peculiarities of my invention.

A represents a roof, having arc-shaped and longitudinal under sheathing B, and crosspieces 0 for outer cover, and between them the series D, of longitudinal and continuous sheets of metal. These sheets are flanged only at the ends, nailed at their own upper ends, and lapped lengthwise slightly over each other.

I am aware that transverse metal plates have been used between wooden covers, and have been lapped successively so as to dispense with the use of nails. These, however, are found in practice to have several. objections: First, they necessitate the fiangin g of the iron on its edges, while mine is laid shingle fashion, and requires no further flanging than at the ends. Secondly, these plates now known to the public must be flanged with the grain of the iron, while my sheets are only flanged across the grain to form a continuous sheet. Thirdly,

these sheets enable me to use a cheaper and thicker iron, durable roof.

and consequently make a more Again, in the old forms of car-roof, rafters are constructed across the car, (to receive top boards,) and purlieus are placed lengthwise, (to which the boards may be fastened.) This frame-work is found in practice to hold together badly, and to be diflieult of application. To overcome these objections I lay lengthwise the under sheathing of car-roof, and the top boards crosswise, while I place the intermediate metallic sheathing lengthwise, so that the wooden covers will make a close and firm joint with the intermediate metal, and the whole become like a solid and homogeneous roof.

A rubber packing, represented at a, may be employed between the edges of the metallic plates.

Having thus described all that is necessary to a full understanding of my invention, what I esteem to be new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

A car-roof, formed of longitudinal under sheathing B and transverse outer pieces 0, combined with the intermediate longitudinal sheets of metal D, arranged. and applied as described.

JOHN L. BURNHAM.

Witnesses W. H. TRAFFORD, O. H. EASTMAN. 

